EXPERT ADVICE

America's Most Thrilling Roads

CA 36 (California)

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Of all the convoluted ways to get from the thankless bustle of Interstate 5 to the jagged beauty of the Northern California coast, few are as relentlessly windy and appealing as Highway 36. Your first tip-off to the handling-intensive nature of this tarmac might be the sign slapped with the universal symbol for twisties and a "Next 140 Miles" message. But nothing quite prepares you for this epic drive until you address the irresistible asphalt as it rambles its way through deeply forested areas, eventually spilling onto the iconic Highway 101.